Were Beethoven's brothers and sisters handicapped?

Answer 1

No, Beethoven was forced to look after his two brothers when his mother died, but only because they were younger than him. In later life, his brother Carl contracted tuberculosis and so he looked after him until his death shortly thereafter. The death of his brother, Carl, is said to have affected his mental health and his ability to compose music, however this is just a theory.

Answer 2

Ludwig Beethoven had eight siblings, three were deaf, two were blind and one was mentally retarded because his mother had syphilis.